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An Upper Marlboro man whose body was found inside a Laurel trash compactor Tuesday was homeless and was likely killed while sleeping in a Dumpster that had its contents picked up and compacted by a recycling truck, Prince George's County police said Thursday.

"I don't have the information on the actual cause of death from the medical examiner, but right now that's what we believe happened," said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a police spokesman.

Police are now investigating the death as accidental, he said.

The body of Lindolph Marcellous Jr., 45, was found early Tuesday morning by employees of Encore Recycling, located at 13200 Virginia Manor Road. Marcellous' body was found in a receptacle that contained items from a mobile compacting truck, Rodriguez said, adding he did not know the name of the company that operated the truck or where its contents came from.

Encore employees found Marcellous' body "once they emptied out the truck," Rodriguez said. An employee of Encore Recycling who answered the phone Tuesday morning said managers declined to comment.

Police had previously given Marcellous' address as the 12300 block of William Beans Road in Upper Marlboro, and Rodriguez said that was likely his last-known place of residence.

A woman who answered the phone Tuesday at a number matching Marcellous' name and address said the family declined to comment.

Rodriguez said that in his 11 years with the department, he could not recall another instance of someone dying after being picked up in a Dumpster.

E-mail Caitlin Moran at cmoran@gazette.net.